OOTD: Plaid Fleece and Denim

Sometimes (okay, most of the time) when it's cold, snowy, and generally blah out, you just want to be comfy and warm.  Now, since we can't go about our daily business wrapped in a quilt, or dare I say it, go to the office in a snuggy, we have to have classier ways to keep warm on those colder days.  This plaid shirt-dress is one of those solutions for me.  It's made of a light fleece, has long sleeves, and even has pockets to keep my lip balm handy.  Score, am I right?! Throw on a belt to cinch in the waist, and you're in business.

THE DEETS

Plaid Shirtdress: Winners

Denim Jacket: Charlotte Russe

Belt: Urban Outfitters (remixed here and here)

Leggings: Filene's Basement

Boots: Shellys (remixed here)

Branch Brooch: Old Weston

Paired with a cropped denim jacket and my favourite black boots, I keep nice and toasty and don't look so bad, either! And that right there is a sure fix for those winter blahs.

As a fun bonus, here's a shot of the handsome photographer, and the stupid face I kept making during this shoot to crack us both up, and also because I was cold.  I don't know why he continues to date me.  Guess I'm just lucky.

--Erin

2013 Goals: January Update

Well folks, we're all but one month through 2013.  I'd like to say that it's going by too quickly, but the weather in Ontario through January and February is totally miserable, so, can we just skip right ahead to March already? Please?

In the mean time, the nasty weather has kept me indoors more, and I have tried to keep busy and make a little progress on some of my goals.  So let's see how things are shaping up!

• blog 4 times a week  so far, so good! Steadily writing 4 posts per week!
• complete my 365 Days of iPhone Photos project Check my updates HERE
• complete one photo-an-hour post for each month Sunday Jan.27! Will post soon.
• save my pennies and purchase a new laptop to replace the 8 year old glorified paperweight Okay, Technically I didn't save up in the new year, but finally decided to spend some of the money I already had saved on a new laptop.  BEST DECISION EVER.  Blogging and photo editing is so much easier now! I got a little 13" Macbook Pro, and named him Verne. ♥♥♥
• take a trip  I've been looking up dream destinations in the USA, but no solid plans yet.  I can't travel till October, so there's no real rush.
• create more, and consume less Netflix (or knit while I watch!) Verne has made watching some New Girl (I think I finally get that show.  maybe?) while I craft into my evening me-time perfection.  I'm working hard, and have something funny to listen to all the while!
• read 6 books (this makes me sad.  how did it come to this?!) Only made a 100 page dent into Dune.  I need to dedicate solid blocks of time to reading, instead of just reading before bed for 30 mins or so, on and off.
• create an online portfolio No progress here, yet!
• look into continuing education Nor here, either.
• take my camera with me more (and invest in a serious camera bag) I'm trying, but without the camera bag this is tricky.  I have been using my iphone camera more, of course! Instaspam like whoa...
• invest more time and effort into friendships, old and new I've made some real efforts here, but I'd like to see myself working at this harder, and dedicating some time every week to Skype dates.  After all, Verne has a webcam (livin' large, folks).
• send 6 pieces of snail mail 0/6, but getting some goodies together to get started on this...
• build a small business There may be a big announcement coming... but I can't strike this from the list until then!!! (watch as I try to hide my excitement!!)
• exercise twice a week  I've been going to the gym 2 or 3 evenings a week.  Ephraim and I both have memberships to the gym near my house, and it's great motivation to be able to go with him when he's in town.
• take life drawing classes This sort of hinges on the car thing, so that I can get to and from said classes.  So, no drawing naked people this month...
• get a car Any day now!! My Dad has been teaching me to drive stick shift (I have my full license but have only driven automatic transmission), so once I get my car (My uncle is upgrading and giving me his old car.  How nice is that?!?) I'll still have a couple weeks of slow and steady country driving before I feel comfortable driving to Toronto, but I'm getting there.  I just get nervous too easily about making the next jump in skill level.  Practice, practice, practice! 

I'm really happy with how I've been doing with my goals so far.  Many of these are lifestyle changes, so they'll never really be crossed off the list, but checking in every month or so (I'll likely cut it down once I feel like these new habits have set in) will help keep me on track.  It feels pretty good!

--Erin 

365 Project: Days 15-28

15// Brick Layin'  16// Chainsmoking Pug Is Out Of Cigs

17// I'm Just A Little Rusty  18// All That Glitters Is Not Gold

19// Fly Away Home  20// A Little Birdie Told Me

21// Seated In Fields Of Blue Flowers  22// Condensed Nation

23// Sugar And Spice  24// Without

25// Why So Serious?  26// And My Head Is Swimming

27// Atop Sugar Mountain  28// Stabbed Through The Heart

I'm starting to really appreciate being able to see phases of my year through these photos.  So many of these shots were taken in my home studio.  I'm really into jewelry making right now, and these photos remind me of that.  I look forward to seeing photos of painting supplies, when that phase hits me! 

As yet, not all of the photos are created equal.  I'm really getting the hang of the macro lens, it's by far my favourite of the three offered in the Olloclip.  It creates a lovely shallow depth of field, and a bokeh effect on what's out of focus that's just buttery smooth.  I love even photographing lights completely out of focus with it, as seen on day 26.  Dreamy.

I keep wondering about what I'd like to do with my photos after this 365 project is over.  Initially I had wanted to make a book of all 365 photos, but as the quality of photo currently ranges pretty widely, I think I may prefer to be a little more selective and make collages of some sort for the best or most meaningful photos of each month.  Anyhow, I've got over 330 days to decide!!

Are you working on a year long project?  How is it going?

--Erin

Like an Animal in a Cage

On Christmas Eve, I was on my own in Niagara-on-the-Lake.  I enjoy those days alone when I don't have work, as it is very seldom that I have time to spend in whatever way I please.  I headed in to town, made a stop at Balzac's (which I wrote about here), did a little grocery and shoe shopping, and headed home on a different route than normal.  I intended to swing by one of the cemeteries in town (those photos are coming!), and having been out for a little while longer than I had planned, the batteries on my iPod ran out.  This turned out to be fortuitous for me, as walking down the street I heard the very angry chattering of a squirrel I would have totally missed otherwise.

This fat little fellow had obviously been living in the walls of this gorgeous old house. They had set up this little cage to trap him when he made his (final) exit, so he wouldn't do any more damage to the home and he could be dropped off a short ways away.  He was very displeased about his situation, and perhaps angrier still about me taking pictures of him while he was stuck in a cage... but he was so fluffy and angry and I just couldn't help myself.  

So thanks little squirrel for posing for me... not that you had much of a choice in the matter!  Squirrels can be a big nuisance and do a fair amount of damage on old homes, and as some of the homes in town are as much as 170 years old, these little critters do have a habit of getting in where they are not welcome! That being said, I see a lot of fat happy squirrels around, so they're getting by just fine, despite whatever temporary incarceration they may endure.  So there's a bit of fluffy goodness to start your day :).

--Erin (and Mr. Nutters the Squirrel)

Super Brunch Sunday: Cinnamon Buns

I am a big fan of sweet breakfasts, if you couldn't tell from the Super Brunch Sunday recipes posted thus far!  What can I say, I have a sweet tooth that just won't quit.    I have always been a big fan of cinnamon buns, but after Saint Cinnamon disappeared from my local malls (my step-mom could always get me to be patient as a kid while she ran errands or shopped for gifts at the mall with the promise of a pecan cinnamon bun) I gave up eating them unless I was "baking" some Pillsbury ones.  I know this will make me mighty unpopular, but I do not care for Cinnabon.  And friends, after you try your hand at these overnight cinnamon rolls, you are breaking up with Cinnabon too.  Because after you eat these, you are never going to want to buy a bun that's been sitting under a heat lamp for hours, ever ever again.  I am freeing you from the shackles of mass produced cinnamon rolls.  Freedom ain't never tasted so, so sweet.

I was inspired to try my hand making cinnamon buns after I read Emma's post on A Beautiful Mess about how she loves to make cinnamon buns for Christmas morning.  I've put this baking adventure off for some time, because I was scared to make my own dough, and I had never worked with yeast before.  Well, I do learn best by doing, so in celebration of my friend Jamie's birthday (the very man who inspired Super Brunch Sundays!!), I bit the bullet and baked up a batch of these babies. 

Cinnamon Buns (recipe by Alton Brown, with my notes added)

Ingredients

Dough:

• 4 large egg yolks, room temperature
• 1 large whole egg, room temperature
• 2 ounces sugar, approximately 1/4 cup
• 3 ounces unsalted butter, melted, approximately 6 tablespoons
• 6 ounces buttermilk, room temperature
• 20 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 cups, plus additional for dusting
• 1 package instant dry yeast, approximately 2 1/4 teaspoons
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• Vegetable oil or cooking spray

Filling:

• 8 ounces light brown sugar, approximately 1 cup packed
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch salt
• 3/4-ounce unsalted butter, melted, approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons

Icing:

• 2 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened, approximately 1/4 cup
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 5 1/2 ounces powdered sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups

Method

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, butter, and buttermilk. Add approximately 2 cups of the flour along with the yeast and salt; whisk until moistened and combined. Remove the whisk attachment and replace with a dough hook. Add all but 3/4 cup of the remaining flour and knead on low speed for 5 minutes. Check the consistency of the dough, add more flour if necessary; the dough should feel soft and moist but not sticky. Knead on low speed 5 minutes more or until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; knead by hand about 30 seconds. Lightly oil a large bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl, lightly oil the top of the dough, cover and let double in volume, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.   

Seriously, just go watch a movie and let the yeast work some magic.

Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Mix until well incorporated. Set aside until ready to use.
Butter a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently shape the dough into a rectangle with the long side nearest you. Roll into an 18 by 12-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with the 3/4-ounce of melted butter, leaving 1/2-inch border along the top edge. Sprinkle the filling mixture over the dough, leaving a 3/4-inch border along the top edge; gently press the filling into the dough. Beginning with the long edge nearest you, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Firmly pinch the seam to seal and roll the cylinder seam side down. Very gently squeeze the cylinder to create even thickness. Using a serrated knife, slice the cylinder into 1 1/2-inch rolls; yielding 12 rolls. Arrange rolls cut side down in the baking dish; cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight or up to 16 hours.

 Sleep on it.  It'll be delish in the morning.

Remove the rolls from the refrigerator and place in an oven that is turned off. Fill a shallow pan 2/3-full of boiling water and set on the rack below the rolls. Close the oven door and let the rolls rise until they look slightly puffy; approximately 30 minutes. Remove the rolls and the shallow pan of water from the oven.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
When the oven is ready, place the rolls on the middle rack and bake until golden brown, or until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, approximately 30 minutes.
While the rolls are cooling slightly, make the icing by whisking the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy. Add the milk and whisk until combined. Sift in the powdered sugar, and whisk until smooth. Spread over the rolls and serve immediately.

Yields 12 rolls. 

Notes from the editor (aka me):
Next time, I won't even bother using my stand mixer for this.  The dough was VERY sticky, and I had to fight it off with a spatula when it tried to envelop the entirety of my mixer.  Not fun.  After my "The Blob" moment, I opted to mix with a whisk and a wooden spoon, and kneaded entirely by hand. 
When it came to the icing, I went a little more free form and added milk and sugar until I got a consistency that I liked.  This recipe makes a very generous quantity of icing!! 
Next time I make these, I am also going to roll them across the wide end, and make 6-8 larger rolls instead of 12 smaller ones.  Because who am I kidding, I'm not only going to eat one of the small ones.

So, what are you making for brunch this Sunday?
--Erin

Studio Shots: Paradigm Designs

I find artists' studios so interesting.  The music they keep around to listen to, the books to be inspired by, and best of all, the tools they use to make it all happen. My studio at home is the most thoroughly decorated in my house (not easy when you live in furnished company housing!), and I am already daydreaming about the studios I will -or hope to- have in the future.  While up north for the holidays, I took a quick moment to cruise around Ephraim's parents' studio and take some photos of the cool stuff they work with to make Paradigm Designs, as well as Jeffrey's independent silver works, a reality.

Susan  and Jeffrey are both silversmiths, though they use their skills to create very different works from one another - when they aren't collaborating, that is!  Silversmithing is the art of manipulating sheet metal into objects: be it flatware (cutlery), holloware (bowls, vases, plates and the like), or jewelry.  While many silversmiths are also goldsmiths, Paradigm Designs works almost exclusively in silver, with pieces ranging from elegant necklaces, to intricate chain work, to more radical showpieces.  My favourite of the latter is a story of two metal bras with chain maille straps. The first incarnation, made of brass, was sold to none other than Carole Pope, the front woman of Canadian new wave band Rough Trade -because yeah, she would need a metal bra in her closet! Years later, a second metal bra - this time fashioned out of silver - was crafted, which is part of the MacDonald Stuart Contemporary Silver Collection in Guelph, Ontario.  Whether they are crafting stunning jewelry with precious stones, or silver tea sets with African Bloodwood handles, they get to work on their projects from the comfort of their own home.  I just loved seeing the multitude of tools they use to manipulate the materials they work with, though admittedly I don't know the function of each one.  In addition to running their own business, Susan and Jeffrey also teach classes on metal working and jewelry design, at the Haliburton School of the Arts.  I'd love to take some classes up there, including, of course, one that they teach! I have an upcoming project that involves some metal working, and I'd love a chance to learn about techniques I may need before I dive in head first. I really must pay stricter attention to the demonstrations Jeffrey does when there is a Studio Tour happening.  I tend to get wrapped up in how amazing his period costume is; I do so like a bit of showmanship!

Of course it can't all be clad in tricorn hats and such fanciful things.  The metal shavings, hammers and drills, the shelves sagging from the weight of books; that's where it's really at. Every day when I go to work, walking into the studio and seeing my tools is what makes me excited to work.  I am so excited for the day when I can organize my paints and sewing machines in plain sight, and have the kind of studio I have always dreamed of.  A space to inspire, to work, to make the best kinds of messes.  A space to build my own career, life and dreams.

Do you have a space at home you like to work in? Be it a whole room dedicated to your craft of choice, a little nook, a desk, your kitchen, or simply a computer, how do you keep yourself inspired to create at home?

--Erin

Adventures in gif Making

I realize this is something of a micro post, but I took a couple of shots on my walk to work last week and I liked the progression enough that I thought I'd try to make a gif out of it.  One of my photography goals for the year is to use light more creatively, and that includes lens flare! Lucky me, I get to walk to work every morning with the slowly rising sun right in my face, so I thought I'd make some use out of it instead of just squinting like an idiot (I did still squint like an idiot, but it was for, you know, a greater good).

I just used the website Gikr to make mine, but the size constraints are a bit too small for me, so next time I am going to try a different method.  My camera can't record video, so this is the only way I can record any sort of "action" until I eventually upgrade.  Anyhow, I was pretty pleased with the results, so I thought I should share!

 

Looking at this now, I want to do a similar series of shots in the summer, and set it to "Here Comes the Sun", hehe! I just love that bit of lens flare.  But this would look so much lovelier with a blue sky, instead of snow everywhere.  By the way, if you're experiencing some serious cold weather like I am, stay bundled up and don't skimp on the hot cocoa! This -25 C thing is just awful when you have to walk, and nothing is closer than 1.5 Km.  Days like this it is really hard to fight the urge to hibernate, I don't care how glittery and pretty it looks!

Stay warm, friends!

--Erin

A Little Guest Postin'...

Howdy Folks!

Lauren is out of town, so today I'm sharing an outfit post over on Old Red Boots.  Be sure to check it out, and if you aren't familiar with Lauren's blog, stick around a while! She's fabulous, I promise.

I'm still crazy in love with the handmade necklace featured in today's outfit.  I think I'll have to make more! What do you think??

--Erin

Super Brunch Sunday: Sadie's Diner

About a month ago now (yikes, this has been in the pipeline for too long!) I finally checked out Sadie's Diner, in Toronto.  I had heard a lot about Sadie', mostly from other Vegetarians I know, because Sadie's is all Veg, all the time.  And I do love me some veggie sausage!

Really though, being able to order anything off the menu at a restaurant is a treat I have very seldom.  And to be at this place with my foodie friend who recommended it, well I knew I was in for something good! The place is SO cute inside, I'm disappointed in myself for not getting any nice shots of the decor, but it was the Sunday brunch rush, and I was only prepared to look so weird.  Next time, I'll do better, I promise!  In the mean time, a description: mismatched Formica tables each with 2-6 mismatched vinyl-seated chairs make Sadie's feel like an off kilter 50's era kitchen, while the modern, to even futuristic art on the walls (all for sale by local artists) and the massive PEZ dispenser collection (in glass cases, like so many trophies) set the tone for the patronage of Sadie's.  It's just that little bit too crowded and too crazy to fit a stroller, so the place is mobbed by child-less hipsters; frankly, a crowd I can run with.

The Huevos Rancheros looked amazing, and I think I'll have to give them a try next time around (they also come with sausage, so I can have the best of both). Overall, I was really happy with the experience, and am pleased to be able to count one more reliable brunch place in Toronto.  Bonus points for good times with friends, and being able to eat anything the restaurant makes.  All in all, enough positive points that I'll let it slide that they give you pumpernickel when you order rye.  Plus, being located right behind Factory Theatre, (on Adelaide, just East of Bathurst) I'd definitely want to grab a bite to eat (or one of their signature juices) before seeing a matinee.  Because theatre + good food = I'm there!!

--Erin

Sponsored Post: My Glasses Story

Hi guys!

Today I wanted to touch on a topic that I haven't talked about much here, but is a staple in all of my outfit posts: eyeglasses!

My glasses story goes back a long way, to the autumn of 2006. I was shopping a local vintage shop with a friend, down in Toronto's Kensington Market.  They had a small selection of clear-lens glasses, so I tried on a pair of plain black frames.  My friend had finished her browsing and came up to me, asking "why did you put your glasses on??" "uhh, I don't wear glasses!" "Well, those look good! You should get them".  And hey, for $12, I wasn't leaving without them.  A few months later, I would return to the same store and buy a pair of leopard print cateyes, which is the shape I still prefer to wear today!

All through high school and occasionally through university I would wear my plastic glasses with the plastic lenses.  I thought I had everyone fooled, and my glasses frames looked so cool! Little did I know my little charade would catch up with me, and I would have to wear real prescription lenses one day!

Flash forward to the summer of 2011.  For the first time in a few years, I was in a large lecture hall, and I realized: I COULD NOT READ THE BOARD!! uh oh.  I quickly took to the internet to look at some frames I thought I'd like.  I was coveting the Rayban 5226 frames that Keiko Lynn sports, but I couldn't tell what they'd look like on my face after browsing the several online eyeglasses retailers I had come by.

At the time, I didn't know about GlassesUSA.com, an online eyeglasses retailer with a new virtual mirror (which you can check out below) that lets you "try on" lenses from the comfort of your own home (or, in my case, even sitting on my bed on my laptop!). 

Since a lot of what scares me about online shopping is not being able to see how an item might look on me, this spiffy feature from GlassesUSA really takes the pressure off.  I particularly loved the look of this neat set of frames,  the iSee 740 Clear lenses.  Looooove the minty colour!

GlassesUSA also has a few discount codes to offer you all! 

Take 15% off + get free shipping on your entire order (orders over $50). Code: FS15 

Take 10% off any order of prescription glasses. Code: Blog10

--Erin

**This post was sponsored by GlassesUSA, but the story and opinions are entirely my own.  Predictions for the Past does work with companies/blogs/whathaveyou from time to time, but I only work with companies I believe in, and that fit with my lifestyle**

OOTD: Broken Hearts and Polka Dots

This necklace is the first, and thus far only, piece of clothing or jewelry I have bought over the internet.  I don't own much jewelry (really!), but the moment I saw this piece made by the now defunct Paraphernalia, I knew I had to have it.  Wearing it is a weird confidence booster for me, so naturally I wore it to a certain infamous (in my eyes) grad school interview a couple years ago, where, long story short, it broke.  And long story shorter, I didn't fix it until a couple weeks ago.  But now my baby is back, and I'm going to wear her all the time.  Because I'm cool like that.

This outfit totally reminds me of my earlier high school days, when I wore a lot of black clothing.  That's probably mostly because I actually thrifted this skirt around that time, though it looked pretty different back then.  Inspired by the high-low gothic skirts I was seeing in shops like Silver Cross and Sirens (for all my Toronto readers; how's that for a flashback? Before Queen West was a strip mall!), I altered this skirt for a similar vibe.  Turns out I was about 7 years early on that trend, but it's cool, my patience paid off, and I have always loved the hem of this skirt.  Makes me remember learning how to so (mostly by trial and error).

The Deets:

Top: Hand-me-down (Bubbie)

Bustier: Danier, hand-me-down (Step-Mom)

Belt: Anthropologie

Skirt: Thrifted, altered by me

Tights: a billion years old

Boots: Leone (not sure of the brand, oops!)

Bag: Hand-me-down (Step-Mom)   Makeover story here
Necklace: Paraphernalia (no longer open)

We took these pictures in a back alley after a very pleasant afternoon out shopping.  I picked up a gift for my little sister's birthday next month (she loves the Big Bang Theory and I am determined to make her into a real nerd, not just someone who thinks nerds are fun to laugh at), and a quick trip to the comic book store Ephraim and I both prefer.  I should do a dedicated post on them some time, but if you're in Toronto and you've never been to The Beguiling on Markham street, your life is sad and empty and you should fix that (stop by the Victory Cafe afterward! Yummy!)

For some back alley shots, the lighting in these sure was pretty.  Also we look like such hipster scum in these portraits.  I kind of love the shot of Ephraim especially.  One of the things I've been wanting to work more on in my photos is lighting, especially getting the hang of lens flare (which I did VERY successfully in some of my 365 challenge, as you'll see in this post.  That's not a filter!), and I think the lighting coming through the fence and branches in that shot is just so lovely.  Plus I like his face.  So there you have it!

--Erin

Tea Time: A Trip to Balzac's

I'm something of a person of contradiction. You see, friends, I love coffee shops, but I really hate coffee.  Like, never have I ever had a cup of coffee.  I think it smells delicious but it's totally not the way it tastes.  Thankfully, with the rise of lattes, fancy tea drinks are easily found.  But not all are created equal.

 

My favourite fancy hot beverage right now (and frankly since I moved to NotL) is a Parisian Mist, from Balzac's.  It's a delicious French Breakfast tea (which I think is amazing all its own, and very flowery) with vanilla syrup and steamed milk.  The tea itself is a big distinguishing factor for this drink.  I can't go back to a London Fog from Starbucks anymore, it's just not the same.  And it's not nearly as cute in Starbucks, besides!

I know it's silly, because it's a chain coffee shop and all... but living in a small tourist town where the majority of people who visit this coffee shop are only passing through, I can't help but feel a sense of ownership over my Balzac's. I like it as a place to sit and read, or grab a drink to go and sit on the quay and look and/or yell at the United States.  Because they used to throw cannonballs at us from there! And the town won't let me forget it. But that's another story.  The Balzac's is decorated with these sweet posters designed for each location.  I foresee a NotL poster in my future.  And a Parisian Mist.  Because come on.

--Erin

365 Project: Days 1-14

Hi everyone!

First of all, thank you all for your kind words about my Bubba.  Her funeral was beautiful, and you could hardly find a place to sit during the service at the funeral home.  My little sister turned to me and said "who ARE all these people??" I told her they were Bubba's friends.  "Wow.  She was POPULAR".  She was clearly well loved.  I was thrilled to have the chance to look through the albums of old photos she had kept hidden away from us out of fear of what would happen to them! Turns out my Zaida was a ridiculously good looking fellow in his day.  The more you know.

Anyhow, one of my goals for this year is to successfully complete a 365 project.  Since Ephraim bought me this super sweet Olloclip iPhone lens for Christmas, I was inspired to do a 365 project of only iPhone photos.  All photos for the project must be shot and processed entirely within my phone (well, phone attachments count, but you get the point).  I'm hoping to see how far I can push the limits of my dinky phone camera.  Plus, creating art with something manufactured for functional, rather than creative means, is pretty neat.  I'm giving each photo a title, and am going to print them all if I manage to complete my task at hand!

Click to enlarge the photos for better resolution.

1// A Fresh Beginning 2// Feeling Like A Fish 3// Line, Line, Everywhere A Line

4// A Field Of Daisies 5// On The Road To The Emerald City 6// Collars and Constellations

7// Torture Device 8// At The Foot Of The Colossus 9// A Spire To Greatness

10// If You Squint Hard Enough, Even Traffic Is Beautiful 11// Doesn't Fall Far From The Tree 12// Here They Come To Save The Day

13// Art Imitates Reality 14// Do Your Duty

Are you doing a 365 project? How are you keeping up with it so far? Do you find you need an alarm or a special reminder to make sure you complete your entry for each day?

--Erin

2013: Goals, Dreams and Wishes

Hi all,

Those of you who are following me on Instagram likely know that my grandmother (or Bubba, as we called her) passed away yesterday afternoon.  Till the end she was fiercely independent, sharp as a tack, and a staunch supporter of the arts.  I will remember her fondly particularly for that last point.  An avid theatre goer, my Bubba introduced me to many fine Canadian works of performing arts, most notably when she had to give up two tickets to a "puppet show" I wasn't sure I'd actually like.  The show was Ten Days On Earth by Canadian director, designer and master performer Ronnie Burkett; the puppets immaculate marionettes manipulated by Ronnie himself - and only Ronnie.  This performance would and continues to inspire me, sparking my imagination as to the depth and range of feeling and emotion portrayed by the supposedly inanimate.  I never would have had that without the thoughtfulness of my Bubba Eve.

Her funeral is tomorrow, and as such I must head to Toronto after I finish work today.  There will be no Super Brunch Sunday post tomorrow, and indeed I fumbled on properly putting together a post for today as I tried to pack (I seem to have no clothing that's really funeral appropriate right now!), work out travel arrangements, and realize that she is actually gone.  This woman was given 6 months to live nearly a decade ago, and quite honestly I think we thought she would outlive us all, fueled on determination alone. Makes me want to be a little more determined myself.

Thusly, I present to you all, my goals for 2013.  I've never been a resolution maker, but I'm taking a stab at some general lifestyle changes I would like to see in myself in the next 12 months, and some rewards I have honestly earned, but haven't allowed myself to indugle in yet.  life is too short, and if not now, when? 

Okay. Enough seriousness, here we go.

In 2013 I hope to:

• blog 4 times a week
• complete my 365 Days of iPhone Photos project
• complete one photo-an-hour post for each month 
• save my pennies and purchase a new laptop to replace the 8 year old glorified paperweight
• take a trip
• create more, and consume less Netflix (or knit while I watch!)
• read 6 books (this makes me sad.  how did it come to this?!)
• create an online portfolio
• look into continuing education
• take my camera with me more (and invest in a serious camera bag)
• invest more time and effort into friendships, old and new
• send 6 pieces of snail mail
• build a small business
• exercise twice a week
• take life drawing classes
• get a car

Now, most of those goals with a number associated with them is a hopeful minimum.  I'd certainly be happier with going to the gym more than twice a week, but twice is still an improvement (and I pushed myself too hard the one day I managed to go this week, not remembering I've been away for so long! I still can't get my left arm quite straight... hurts so good, haha!).
 
Have you created any goals for this year? Let's all get the most out of 2013 that we can!

--Erin

A Little Guest Postin'

Happy Wednesday!

I am all sore from yesterday's workout, so let me simply point you in the right direction of a little guest post I have on The Little Owl today. It's a nice run down of the blog, but also includes some information about me that you may not know! Plus there are as always some nice photos to go along with it :).

I'll be back tomorrow with more irregularly scheduled programming.

--Erin